Shikamaru was seated at his desk leafing through the file he had found filled with dossiers of notes about members of a group called the Akatsuki that appeared to be growing and consolidating power throughout Konoha and other major cities.
Honestly, things didn't look good, but then again, when had they?
A light knock on the door caused him to close the folder as he looked up. He could see her pink hair, albeit blurry, on the other side of the frosted glass and she cracked the door open to peak her head in.
"Detective…" The moment she saw his battered face, her reaction was instantaneous, "Oh my gosh! What happened to you?!" Concern and worry crossed over her features, "Did this happen because of my case?" Sakura quickly entered, closed the door, and rushed to his desk.
He stopped her with a single raised hand and he looked to an empty chair in front of his desk. She took it reluctantly with concern still lacing her features. One more swallow of scotch before it was time to pull the wool over Sakura's eyes, "No, it's actually because of an old case I had that is back to haunt me."
"How so? What happened?"
"It's an old case, but, unfortunately, I stick by a code of confidentiality. I can't really tell you more about it."
Sakura bit her lip in thought, "If it has nothing to do with my case, then why were you concerned about me being followed?"
"I'm concerned that this case," he gestured to his black and blue face, "could get mixed up with yours, just from my involvement in both of them. That's why I have to stop my investigation into Sasuke." Sure, he was stopping the investigation into Sasuke but it had far more to do with the fact that he already knew what he was up to, though he still wanted to protect Sakura from becoming involved.
"But things have only gotten worse with Sasuke. Something is definitely going on with him. What do you expect me to do if you're dropping the case?"
"Let me tell you what I dug up." Shikamaru hated the half truths he was about to say before they even passed his lips, "Sasuke isn't cheating on you. He is going to The Sound because he heard that he might be able to learn more about Itachi from a couple regulars there. He hasn't really been having much if any luck, and I think it's more about trying to deal with his parents' deaths rather than actually finding Itachi. You might just need to give him space and time to work through it."
"You may think he won't have luck tracking down Itachi, but if he wants to find him… he will, detective." Sakura had no idea that what she just said was something that Shikamaru was actually counting on. "And, what about the files that he has been pulling and the list I shared with you? What about those?"
"I looked into them. I think he is just looking for any hint or correlation, but I think he's just chasing ghosts and trying to see a pattern that doesn't exist." The lie rolled smoothly and easily off his tongue, but people can be good at things they hate. Maybe what he hated was how easy and natural it was for him to do.
Something in her eyes seemed to harden, though Shikamaru wasn't quite sure if he was imagining it or if it was just the light coming through the blinds behind him. "I see. So you don't think those are worth trying to look into anymore?"
"I don't believe so." Shikamaru reached for his glass of scotch and took a drink, working to maintain his nonchalance.
She blinked and whatever he had thought he saw in her look was gone. When she spoke again, it was with a note of melancholy now lacing her words, "I know he still has nightmares sometimes, but it's been so long and I really thought he was starting to be able to move on."
Sasuke is plagued by nightmares too. Was there really such a thing as moving on and peace for people like them? People who needed to chase revenge for the ghosts they kept with them.
Sakura continued, "I should get going. I appreciate you keeping me informed."
"I know it's a drag, but let me know if you find yourself being followed or any odd activity. I'm hoping that I caught this soon enough that you won't be involved in this mess I need to deal with now." He meant it. He only hoped that Sakura could be kept as far away from the case as possible, for her own safety.
"Sure thing. Have a good day, Shikamaru." She sadly smiled before turning and leaving.
Something about the way she said his name left an odd feeling in its wake. He sighed, maybe it's just the number of lies and half truth's he'd thrown around during her visit making him uneasy.
Shikamaru swallowed another mouthful of scotch and returned to the file on his desk. But before he had time to get fully engrossed again in it's contents his office door swung open to reveal a very tall, dark, and pissed off Sasuke Uchiha.
The Uchiha was intimidating, though not in the way of a common thug. His tactics came in the way he carried himself, his always present attitude, and how he dressed. Now he wore a sharply pressed black suit, which somehow gave no indication that he had spent his day working, with a dark red tie. His head topped with a black matching fedora. Shikamaru couldn't help but pause as he assessed the best way to handle this new situation.
"Detective Nara," Sasuke seethed. "Perhaps you can enlighten me on what your damn business is with Sakura." His words came out icy but his eyes glowed with anger. He must have followed Sakura from the office.
Shikamaru closed the file and leaned back in his chair. How was it that Sakura was the only person who understood the concept of actually knocking on a door? He couldn't resist lacing his words with heavy sarcasm, "Please do come in."
Sasuke responded with a sneer as he closed the door with a bang and approached the desk. "I know that you're now involved with Temari and Kankuro and tracking down the Akatsuki. They already filled me in. I hear that we're all one big happy team now. So you can cut the crap, Nara. Why were you talking with Sakura today."
Shikamaru watched as Sasuke clenched and unclenched his hands as he spoke. Shikamaru was still trying to recover and in shit shape. If Sasuke decided to do something about the anger building in his fists, he wasn't going to have much of a chance.
Shikamaru still wasn't the type to just roll over completely. It was morally shaky ground, but he was a morally shaky type of guy these days. "It's a drag, but I can't talk about my clients. I have client confidentiality." Shikamaru waited for Sasuke to catch his hint before he chuckled, "Something you boys may not know much about in the DA's office."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he continued to glare at Shikamaru, but Shikamaru noted he now seemed less likely to out-right wail on him as Sasuke's hands had stilled.
"So she's a client?" Sasuke ground out.
Shikamaru sighed as he looked over the desk to Sasuke. "If she is or was, I would not be at liberty to say."
"Hmm," Sasuke now circled the chair to sit. "What kind of things do clients come to see you for?"
Shikamaru lifted his bottle of scotch in question to which Sasuke gave a stiff, quick nod. Shikamaru opened a drawer and pulled another glass out and started pouring. Since they were now 'one big happy team', as Sasuke had so elegantly said, then Shikamaru at least be on cordial terms with the guy.
Shikamaru pushed the drink across the table, "If they feel something is off or someone starts acting differently… visiting different places, being more distant, or things like that, and they want to find out why." Shikamaru gave a glance at Sasuke to see his lips pressed into a thin line.
"I don't want Sakura involved in any of what we're doing. I don't want her put into danger. This is something I've got to do, but not her." Sasuke took a deep drink of his scotch.
Shikamaru nodded in understanding before doing the same. The two sat in silence as they contemplated their drinks and their situations.
"We agree Sakura is kept out of this, but don't think that we're friends now. Itachi murdered our parents and I'll do whatever it takes to track him down. You, Temari, and Kankuro are just a means to an end. I don't give a damn about anyone else. If anyone gets in my way..."
Shikamaru cut in, "I feel the same. My partner... So, let's not get in each other's way."
Sauske responded, "Hmm." with a curt nod, and Shikamaru accepted it as an agreement.
Author's note: As I write this I have a whole other story that I kinda want to write at some point that partly runs in parallel with Sakura and Sasuke as the primary focus. So maybe after I finish this one! (We'll see if I have it in me.) This is my first time actually writing Sasuke though - I just love the burning emotions the guy has, despite his aloof act.
As always, reviews are always appreciated - they make my day and keep me going!
